Ergonomic gardening container

ABSTRACT

Provided is a raised-bed gardening container, including a base, a feeding tube, and a cover frame. The base may include a bottom edge; a top rim at least 36 inches above the bottom edge; an exterior sidewall extending between the bottom edge and the top rim; an interior sidewall extending from the top rim to a bottom interior, the interior sidewall and bottom interior defining an interior volume for containing a gardening media, the interior volume having a diameter of greater than approximately four feet; a feeding tube support generally centrally disposed in the base; and a gardener passage extending to the feeding tube support and having a width configured to allow a gardener to walk through the gardener passage to the feeding tube support.

CITATION TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS

The present application is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. applicationSer. No. 15/351,069, entitled “Ergonomic Gardening Container,” filedNov. 14, 2016, which is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. application Ser.No. 13/474,306, entitled “Ergonomic Gardening Container,” filed May 17,2012, the entirety of which are incorporated herein by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to gardening, and morespecifically, to gardening containers.

2. Description of the Related Art

Many traditional gardening containers are difficult to use, particularlyfor those with a limited range of movement. Bending over to reachground-level gardening containers can be difficult and uncomfortable,and many raised-bed gardening containers are too low to satisfactorilyaddress this problem. Such challenges are amplified for those gardenersseeking to benefit the environment by composting waste material for usein their gardening containers, as many compost containers are alsorelatively low to the ground, and transferring material from the compostcontainer to the gardening container can be labor intensive andunpleasant. Moreover, raised-bed gardening containers are generallyexpensive, particularly larger and higher containers, in part, becausethe containers consume a relatively large amount of retail and warehouseshelf space prior to their sale. These size-related problems are alsofelt by gardeners seeking to store such containers, e.g., outside of thegrowing season. Other weaknesses of many gardening containers includethe lack of a readily attached protective cover to provide a greenhouseor shade, depending on the weather.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following is a non-exhaustive listing of some aspects of the presenttechniques. These and other aspects are described in the followingdisclosure.

In some aspects, the present invention includes a raised-bed gardeningcontainer, including a base, a feeding tube, and a cover frame. Thebase, in some aspects, includes a bottom edge; a top rim at least 36inches above the bottom edge; an exterior sidewall extending between thebottom edge and the top rim; an interior sidewall extending from the toprim to a bottom interior, the interior sidewall and bottom interiordefining an interior volume for containing a gardening media, theinterior volume having a diameter of greater than approximately fourfeet; a feeding tube support generally centrally disposed in the base;and a gardener passage extending to the feeding tube support and havinga width configured to allow a gardener to walk through the gardenerpassage to the feeding tube support. In some aspects, the feeding tubeis configured to be coupled to the feeding tube support and resideapproximately centrally within the interior volume to collect compostand convey water into the gardening media. The feeding tube may includea plurality of apertures operable to convey water into the gardeningmedia and an upper aperture disposed adjacent the gardener passage whenthe feeding tube is coupled to the feeding tube support and operable toreceive water and compost material. The cover frame may be configured tobe coupled to the base and support a protective cover over the interiorvolume of the base.

Some aspects include a gardening container, including a base being amonolithic body of a single material and having an exterior sidewallsloping in a direction; an interior sidewall sloping in an opposingdirection and defining an interior volume for containing a gardeningmedia; and a gardener passage extending to the feeding tube support andhaving a width configured to allow a gardener to walk through thegardener passage to the feeding tube support, wherein the base isstackable such that a plurality of substantially identical bases, whenstacked, each contain more than 50 percent of an adjacent base.

Some aspects include a gardening container, including a stackable basebeing a monolithic body of a thermoplastic, a feeding tube, a coverframe, and a plurality of layers of gardening media. The base mayinclude a bottom edge; a top rim at least 36 inches above the bottomedge; an exterior sidewall extending between the bottom edge and the toprim; an interior sidewall extending from the top rim to a bottominterior, the interior sidewall and bottom interior defining an interiorvolume for containing a gardening media, the interior volume having adiameter of greater than approximately four feet; a feeding tube supportgenerally centrally disposed in the base; and a gardener passageextending to the feeding tube support and having a width configured toallow a gardener to walk through the gardener passage to the feedingtube support. The feeding tube may be coupled to the feeding tubesupport and residing approximately centrally within the interior volumeto collect compost and convey water into the gardening media. Thefeeding tube may include a plurality of apertures operable to conveywater into the gardening media; and a top aperture disposed adjacent thegardener passage and operable to receive water and compost material. Theplurality of layers of gardening media may be disposed within theinterior volume and may include a bottom layer of porous materialconfigured to provide drainage; a second layer on the bottom layer ofrecyclable material subject to composting; a third layer of soil on thesecond layer and in which plants are to be planted, wherein the bottomlayer, the second layer, and the third layer slope downward four to sixinches away from the feeding tube.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned aspects and other aspects of the present techniqueswill be better understood when the present application is read in viewof the following figures in which like numbers indicate similar oridentical elements:

FIG. 1 illustrates a gardening container in accordance with someembodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views of the gardening container of FIG.1;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the gardening container ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side section view of the gardening container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 illustrates a plurality of the gardening container of FIG. 1 in astacked configuration;

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate an exploded view of another gardening containerin accordance with some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the gardening container of FIGS. 7 and8;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are perspective views of another embodiment of agardening container;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a gardening container with a waterdisperser;

FIG. 13 is a sectioned perspective view of the water disperser of FIG.12.

FIG. 14 is a plan view of a gardening container with a drain assembly inaccordance with some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the gardening container of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a gardening container with supportchairs set along its base in accordance with some embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a gardening container with a drainpipe extending horizontally into the container interior;

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of a gardening container with a drainpipe configured in accordance with some embodiments of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the gardening container of FIG. 18depicting the draining of water from the container interior.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way ofexample in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. Thedrawings may not be to scale. It should be understood, however, that thedrawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit theinvention to the particular form disclosed, but to the contrary, theintention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternativesfalling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as definedby the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Some, and in some cases all, of the above-mentioned deficiencies incertain existing gardening containers are mitigated by an exemplarygardening container 10 illustrated by FIG. 1. As explained in greaterdetail below, some embodiments of the gardening container 10 supportgardening media, such as soil, at a height that is relatively ergonomicfor gardeners. Further enhancing the ergonomics of the gardeningcontainer 10, some embodiments are shaped to allow a gardener toposition themselves near the center of the gardening container, therebyplacing much of the surface of the gardening media within reach of thegardener. Embodiments of the gardening container 10 are also expected toprovide certain environmental benefits by facilitating water and soilconservation through use of an integrated composter that feeds composttea into the gardening media and receives waste material generatedduring gardening or other activities. Some embodiments are, in largepart, integrally formed from relatively few pieces, facilitatingassembly of the gardening container 10 and lowering manufacturing costs,and larger components of the gardening container 10, in someembodiments, are shaped to be stackable, thereby reducing the amount ofspace consumed by the gardening container 10 when not in use, forexample when in storage or when on a retail sales floor or in awarehouse. Finally, some embodiments of the gardening container 10facilitate use of a protective cover to expand the growing season with agreenhouse during colder weather and shade during warmer weather. Theseand other aspects of the gardening container 10 are explained in greaterdetail below, after introducing the components of the gardeningcontainer 10.

As shown by FIG. 1, in some embodiments, the gardening container 10includes a base 12, a feeding tube 14, and a cover frame 16. The base 12holds the gardening media in which plants are grown and forms thesupport structure for the other components 14 and 16. The feeding tube14, in some embodiments, is removably inserted into the base 12 andprovides a chamber in which waste material is composted and throughwhich water is applied to the gardening media. The cover frame 16 isalso, in some embodiments, removably inserted into the base 12 andprovides a support structure upon which sheets of protective material,such as shade fabric, deer netting, or translucent plastic, are attachedto modulate or protect the environment in which plants are grown.

The base 12, in the illustrated embodiment, includes a bottom edge 18, afillet 20, an exterior side wall 22, fasteners 24, a top rim 26, aninterior side wall 28, an interior fillet 30 (visible in FIG. 2), abottom interior surface 32 (FIG. 2), a gardener passage 34 (FIG. 1), acompost access door 36, and a feeding tube support 38. Generally, thefillets 20 and 30 flare away from their respective walls 22 and 28 toenhance stability. And to facilitate ergonomic access to the gardeningcontainer 10, the sidewalls 22 and 28 raise the top rim 26 toapproximately waist height, and the gardener passage 34 allows agardener to position themselves within arms' reach of plants, except, insome embodiments, plants over the feeding tube 14. To encouragecomposting, the feeding tube support 38 holds the feeding tube 14 nearthe end of the gardener passage 34, and the compost access door 36provides ready access to composted material for ergonomic compositingwhile gardening.

The base 12 may be made of a variety of materials, including a properlyformed sheet of material generally having a uniform thickness, which mayinclude a single material or a composite material. For example, the base12 may be formed into a sheet having the illustrated shape from amoldable plastic, such as injection molded, vacuum formed, orrotary-cast plastic, for instance a thermoplastic polymer likepolypropylene. In another example, the base 12 may be formed from acomposite material, such as fiberglass having fibers positioned with ahand layup process or with a spray layup process, for instance over amold coated with a mold-release agent and generally having the shape ofthe illustrated base 12. In some embodiments, the base 12, with theexception of fasteners 24, is integrally formed from a monolithic bodyof material (e.g. substantially entirely from a single body ofpolypropylene), a technique which is expected to yield relatively lowmanufacturing costs due a low part-count for the base 12. An integrallyformed base 12 is also expected to enhance strength by reducing oreliminating seams between components that would otherwise concentratestresses. In other embodiments, though, the base 12 may be formed frommultiple pieces, for example by bolting components together or byinterlocking slots and tabs on adjacent components. In some embodiments,the base 12 may be made from a colored material, such as coloredplastic, or (and/or) a pattern may be applied to the exterior, e.g., byscreen printing simulated bricks or wood slats, or by applying insertshaving such an appearance.

The bottom edge 18 terminates the fillet 20, which extends down andoutward from the exterior side wall 22 in the illustrated embodiment.The fillet 20 places the edge 18 further outward radially from a centralaxis 40 of the gardening container 10 than would otherwise occur,thereby providing a relatively wide base and relatively stable supportfor the base 12. Maintaining stability is expected to be helpful inembodiments that contain a relatively large amount of heavy growingmedia and elevate the growing media relatively high. Further, the fillet20 is expected to reduce the likelihood of the exterior side wall 22collapsing, for example denting, when a force is applied radiallyinward, for instance if a person leans against the side wall 22. Otherembodiments, however, do not necessarily include the fillet 20, which isnot to suggest that any other feature described herein is required inall embodiments.

The illustrated exterior side wall 22, in some embodiments, has agenerally conical shape (e.g., approximately a frustum of a rightcircular cone) that is generally rotationally symmetric about thecentral axis 40, with the upper portion near the top rim 26 beingradially narrower than the lower portion near the bottom edge 18. Again,the shape is selected to position the bottom edge 18 radially outwardand enhance stability, though embodiments are not limited to gardeningcontainers providing this benefit, as is the case with the otherbenefits of various embodiments described herein. In some cases, theouter sidewall 22 and other portions of the base 12 may includestructures to enhance rigidity, such as fins, ribs, or other deviationsin the shape of the outer sidewall 22. In some cases, a pattern may beformed in the outer sidewall 22 to simulate the appearance of bricks andmortar, slats of wood, or a stone wall, both to enhance rigidity and foraesthetic reasons. Or some embodiments may include recesses withfasteners for receiving aesthetic inserts, such as wooden panels orsimulated brick inserts.

In some embodiments, the fasteners 24 are generally disposed atapproximately the same height around the exterior side wall 22 near thetop rim 26, for example generally radially symmetrically about thecentral axis 40. The illustrated fasteners 24 are male portions of snapsriveted into holes through the exterior side wall 22. Other embodimentsmay include other types of fasteners 24 (or no fasteners, which is notto suggest that other features are required of all embodiments), such aseyelets, hooks, zippers, hook and loop fasteners, and the like. Thefasteners 24 function to secure a cover, such as shade cloth, deernetting, or translucent or transparent plastic sheets supported by thecover frame 16. Distributing the fasteners 24 generally radiallysymmetrically and generally near one another, for example within 10inches of one another or less, is expected to mitigate the concentrationof stress in the protective sheet attached to the cover frame 16, asmight occur during a relatively strong wind. In some cases, thefasteners 24 are also disposed along the gardener passage 34 to supportportions of a cover extending along the passage 34.

In the illustrated embodiment, the top rim 26 extends horizontallyradially inward from the outer sidewall 22 to the inner sidewall 28 andis generally flat and generally circular, with the exception of thegardener passage 34. In some embodiments, the top rim 26 is wide enoughfor a person to rest their elbows or hands on when gardening, forexample, the top rim 26 may be between 3 and 5 inches wide, such asapproximately 4 inches wide. The top rim 26 may meet the sidewalls 22and 28 in a chamfered region having a radius selected to avoid sharpedges contacted by the gardener and to avoid stress concentrations,e.g., a radius less than approximately 5 mm and greater thanapproximately 1 mm. In some embodiments the strength of the base 12 maybe enhanced by fins extending downward from the top rim 26 and betweenthe sidewalls 22 and 28. Such fins, in some cases, may extend downwardthrough a portion of the height of the base 12 (e.g., less than 10inches) to facilitate stacking, as discussed below with reference toFIG. 6.

The top rim 26, in the illustrated embodiment, is also wide enough toprovide space for a plurality of apertures 42 that receive the coverframe 26. In some embodiments, the apertures 42 are generally radiallysymmetrically disposed about the central axis 40 and extend generallyparallel to the central axis 40, downward. For example, the apertures 42may be ends of tubes 43 (FIG. 5) that extend downward, for instanceapproximately 4 to 6 inches, to stabilize the cover frame 16. The tubes43, in some cases, are joined to the sides 22 and 28 with fins orwebbing to enhance their strength. Or in some embodiments, the apertures42 are holes merely extending through the thickness of the base 12. Someembodiments include approximately 9 such apertures 42 to distributeportions of the cover frame 16 relatively regularly under a cover andsupport the cover in stronger winds.

In some embodiments, the inner sidewall 28 extends generally downwardfrom the top rim 26. The illustrated inner sidewall 28 has a generallyconical shape (e.g., approximately a frustum of a right circular cone)that is inverted relative to the outer sidewall 22. That is, in theillustrated embodiment, the lower portion of the inner sidewall 28 iscloser to the central axis 40 than the upper portion of the innersidewall 28. In this embodiment, the inner sidewall 28 is generallyradially symmetric about the central axis 40, with the exception of thegardener passage 34. The inner sidewall 28 may include fins, ridges, orother structures to enhance rigidity in some embodiments.

FIG. 2 illustrates the bottom fillet 30 of the present embodiment, whichextends from the inner sidewall 28 to the bottom surface 32. The curvedshape of the fillet 30 is expected to enhance the rigidity of the innersidewall 28 and reduce the likelihood of stress concentrations, as mightarise from stones, or other sharp objects within the gardening media,denting or distorting the shape of the inner sidewall 28.

The bottom surface 32, in some embodiments, is generally flat, andgenerally normal to the central axis 40. In some embodiments, the bottomsurface 32 extends fully between the inner sidewalls 28 to form a closedreceptacle for gardening media (e.g., a water-tight container), therebyfacilitating use of the gardening container 10 in urban environments,for example on apartment building balconies. In some cases, the bottomsurface 32 includes a drain, e.g., a threaded aperture to receive adrainage tube for directing water in a controlled fashion off anapartment balcony. The bottom surface 32, in some cases, may include anintegrally formed (or attached) pattern of fins, ridges, or otherstructures to enhance rigidity across the bottom surface 32. In otherembodiments, the bottom surface 32 is omitted, which is not to suggestthat other features described herein may not also be omitted in certainembodiments.

FIG. 1 illustrates the gardener passage 34, which in this embodiment,extends radially inward from the outer sidewall 22 to the feeding tubesupport 38. The gardener passage 34 may be generally perpendicular tothe central axis 40 and may have a width, such as a minimum width,selected to accommodate a person walking through the gardener passage34. In some instances, the gardener passage 34 is greater than 6 incheswide, greater than 8 inches wide, or greater than 12 inches wide at thenarrowest region. The gardener passage 34 is defined by exteriorsidewalls 44 and 46 which meet with interior sidewalls 48 and 50 (FIG.2) at a passage top surface 52 or 54. The exterior sidewalls 44 and 46may generally slope away from one another, tending to be further fromone another higher from the bottom edge 18 to accommodate human hips,which are generally wider than a person's feet, and to enhancestability. The interior sidewalls 48 and 50 may have an opposite slope,also to enhance stability and resists forces from a person leaningagainst the top surfaces 52 or 54.

The feeding tube support 38 (FIG. 1), in some embodiments, defines aconical shape (e.g., a frustum of a right-circular cone) extending alongthe central axis 40 and extending between the sidewalls 44, 46, 48, and50 to support the feeding tube 14 and contain the gardening media withinthe interior 56 of the base 12. In some embodiments, the feeding tubesupport 38 includes a top portion 58 (FIG. 2) that extends fully (orsubstantially fully, e.g., to resiliently clip the feeding tube 14)around the feeding tube 14 to hold the feeding tube 14 in position. Thefeeding tube support 38 may have a smaller diameter near the top thannear the bottom to facilitate stacking of instances of the base 12, asdescribed in greater detail below with reference to FIG. 6.

In some embodiments, the feeding tube 14 is removably placed within thefeeding tube support 38, again to facilitate stacking of the base 12when the feeding tube 14 is removed. The feeding tube 14 may have agenerally right cylindrical shape or the tube may have some other shapeconfigured to allow compost to collect and water to pass into thegardening media, e.g., a lower chamber may be wider than an upperpassage. The illustrated feeding tube 14 includes a plurality of ridges60 that reduce the likelihood of the feeding tube 14 being compressedinward by the gardening media. The feeding tube 14, in some embodiments,includes a plurality of apertures (e.g., an array of more than 20)drilled through the feeding tube 14. These apertures may beapproximately ½ inch or smaller to facilitate the flow of fluids fromthe feeding tube 14 into the gardening media while tending to impede theflow of solids between the gardening media and the feeding tube interior62. In some embodiments, the bottom of the feeding tube 14 is closedwith a plug 64 (FIG. 3), also to contain materials within the feedingtube 14. The feeding tube 14 may be made of a variety of materials,including plastic, such as corrugated drainage pipe having a diameterbetween 8 and 20 inches, for example approximately 15 inches. The lengthof the feeding tube may be selected to elevate the feeding tube 14 abovethe growing media for relatively ergonomic access, and in someembodiments, the feeding tube 14 extends between 40 and 48 inches abovethe bottom surface 32 (FIG. 2) of the base 12.

In some cases, the feeding tube 14 includes an aperture behind theaccess panel 36 (FIG. 1) through which processed compost can be removedfor adding to the interior 56 of the base 12 and enriching the gardeningmedia. The access panel 36 and aperture behind it may be high enough onthe feeding tube 14 that fluids collecting at the bottom of the feedingtube 14 flow into the gardening medium before reaching the bottom edgeof the access panel 36 to prevent drainage through the panel 36. In someembodiments, a circular plate near the bottom of the feeding tube 14 isconnected via a cable or shaft extending up through the feeding tube 14to allow a gardener to either lift compost material up to the accesspanel 36 or fully clear the entire tube 14 by pulling this plate fromabove.

The cover frame 16 may be removably attached to the base 12 through theapertures 42. In some embodiments, the cover frame 16 is made of amoldable material, such as a plastic, like polyvinylchloride (PVC) pipe,or of a resilient material, such as fiberglass rods. In this embodiment,the cover frame 16 includes a plurality of generally straightcylindrical rods 64 (FIG. 1) extending up to a spreader ring 66, wherethe rods transition to an inward bending section 68 that continues untilthe rods meet one another at the central axis 40. The rods 64 may bejoined to the spreader ring 66 with a four-way orthogonal pipefitting inthe case of PVC pipe or with a four-way orthogonal metal joint, forexample formed by welding orthogonal aluminum tubes to one another, inthe case of fiberglass rods. The curved portions 68 may meet one anotherin another ring near the central axis 40 having apertures to receive thecurved portions 68 or by intersecting or overlapping one another at thecentral axis 40.

Some embodiments include a cover having the shape of the cover frame 16.The cover may be made of a variety material selected based on thedesired environment within the interior 56. For example, the cover maybe a translucent or transparent plastic selected to provide a greenhouseeffect within the interior 56 to extend the growing season into colderparts of the year. In another example, the cover may be made of shadecloth selected to protect plants growing in the interior 56 from the sunduring warmer parts of the year. In another example, the cover may be anetting material (e.g., deer netting) selected to exclude pests. In someapplications, the covers shield plants from excessive watering fromrain, protect against foragers such as birds, protect against frost byreducing radiated heat loss, and protect against harmful insects. Insome embodiments, the cover may include complementary fasteners thatcouple with the fasteners 24 around the base 12 to secure the cover tothe base 12 and over the cover frame 16. The cover may substantially orentirely enclose the cover frame 16. The cover may be applied by pullingthe cover over the cover frame 16 and snapping it or otherwise attachingit to the fasteners 24. In some embodiments, the fasteners 24 extendalong the gardener passage 34 to secure the area near this path as well.

In some embodiments, the gardening container 10 is assembled by placingthe feeding tube 14 within the feeding tube support 38 and, then,attaching the cover frame 16 and any cover to the base 12. Thus, thegarden container 10 can be assembled by attaching four components, andin some embodiments in which the cover frame 16 and the cover are notused, the gardening container 10 can be assembled by merely attachingtwo components: the feeding tube 14 and the base 12. Consequently,certain embodiments of the gardening container 10 are expected to berelatively easy to assemble for gardeners, particularly those withlimited ranges of movement.

Once assembled, the interior 56 may be filled partially or substantiallyentirely with a gardening media by the gardener. A variety of differenttypes of gardening media may be used, and in some cases, a variety ofdifferent types of materials may be used in a single instance. Forinstance, a first layer approximately 4 to 6 inches deep may includerocks, cans, Styrofoam, or other materials selected to provide drainage.A second layer on top of the first layer may include 6 to 16 inches ofrecyclable material, for instance cardboard, paper, vegetable waste,coffee grounds, or other material subject to composting. A third layerof approximately 8 to 12 inches may include a suitable soil forgardening selected in view of plants that the gardener intends to grow.Each layer may slope downward 4 to 6 inches away from the feeding tube14 to facilitate water flow from the feeding tube 14 to root structurescloser to the outer edges of the base 12. Within the gardening soil, thegardener may plant a variety of different types of plants.

The feeding tube 14, in some embodiments, serves dual purposes. Water isapplied to soil within the interior 56 through the interior 62 of thefeeding tube 14, as compost material within the interior 62 of thefeeding tube 14 composts, thereby forming a compost tea carried by thewater into the soil to add nutrients, as well as forming additional soilas composting occurs for addition to the interior 56 of the gardeningcontainer 10. In operation, the gardener drops compost material into theinterior 62 of the feeding tube 14, for example from the gardener'skitchen, or as the gardener trims organic material from the gardenitself, such as weeds or plant clippings. This material composts withinthe feeding tube 14. Composting is enhanced by watering the gardenthrough the feeding tube 14, as the water passes over and through thecomposting material, through the holes in the feeding tube 14, and outinto the gardening media in the interior 56 of the base 12. Asillustrated in FIG. 2, the back portion of the feeding tube support 38in some embodiments is open to expose the apertures in the feeding tube14 (not shown due to size) to the growing media. Relatively ergonomicaccess to the feeding tube 14 is provided by the gardener passage 34(FIG. 1), through which the gardener passes when adding water or compostmaterial.

From time to time, the gardener may remove material from the compostingchamber of the feeding tube 14 (the lower portion of the interior), forinstance when composting is complete and the material is sufficientlydecomposed for use as soil. To this end, the gardener may enter thegardener passage 34, open the access panel 36, and scoop material fromthe bottom of the feeding tube 14 to add the material onto the top ofsoil in which plants are to be grown. Thus, some embodiments provide anintegrated composter and raised bed garden between which waste materialand composted material are relatively easily exchanged. Indeed, in someembodiments, the gardener can weed the garden, water the garden, addgarden clippings to a compost pile, and add soil from the compost pileto the garden without walking more than a step or two from a singleposition.

The dimensions of the gardening container 10 may provide relativelyergonomic gardens. The height 69, as illustrated by FIG. 5, may begreater than 30 inches, e.g., between 36 and 48 inches, which isapproximately waist high for most gardeners. Gardening media near thisheight is expected to be relatively easy for the gardener to reach. Thediameter 71 (FIG. 5) is also selected with ergonomics in mind. In someembodiments, the diameter 71 is less than approximately one or two timesa typical gardener's reach, such that substantially the entire surfaceof the garden can be reached from either the gardener passage 34(FIG. 1) or from the perimeter of the gardening container 10. Forinstance, the diameter 71 may be between 3 feet and 8 feet, such asapproximately 6 feet wide.

A substantial cost of many relatively-large gardening containers is thecost of storage, both to the gardener when the gardening container isnot in use, and to a retailer or a wholesaler storing a relatively largenumber of such containers. Certain embodiments are expected to reducethese costs by facilitating stacking of bases 12 of the gardeningcontainer 10. FIG. 6 illustrates a plurality of stacked gardeningcontainer bases 12. As illustrated, the top edge of each gardeningcontainer 26 is inserted into a wall interior 70 (FIG. 5). The wallinterior 70 is formed in the region between the inner sidewall 28 andthe outer sidewall 22 and generally has an inverted V-shape incross-section, such that higher portions are narrower than lowerportions. This shape is expected to facilitate the stacked configurationillustrated in FIG. 6. In some embodiments, the feeding tube support 38and the sidewalls 44, 46, 48, 50 (FIGS. 1 and 2) also have an invertedV-shape to facilitate stacking. Bases 12 of FIG. 6 are said to be“stackable,” because at least one half of the vertical height of onecontainer fits inside another base 12 stacked on top of it. In someembodiments, the bases 12 may stack such that more than 80% of theheight of the base fits within the above base, thereby furtherconserving storage space. While not all embodiments are stackable,stackable embodiments are expected to be less expensive in terms ofstorage costs. In some embodiments, the wall interior 70 is filledpartially or substantially entirely with a removable insulator, e.g.,fiberglass insulation (or other material having an R-value greater thanapproximately R−3), to dampen swings in the temperature of the gardeningmedia.

FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment of a gardening container 72 in anexploded view. This embodiment includes an elevated surface 74, asupport structure 76, a water permeable member 78, and a watering tube80. As explained in greater detail below, the components of 74, 76, 78,and 80 may form an elevated water reservoir beneath the gardening media,which may maintain the moisture of the gardening media to facilitateplant growth.

In some embodiments, the elevated surface 74 is a waterproof sheet ofmaterial, such as machined or molded plastic or metal. The elevatedsurface 74 may be attached to support structure 76, for example by beingbolting to the support structure 76 or by being welded to the supportstructure 76. The support structure 76, in this embodiment, is a grid ofsupport beams 12, which may extend to a perimeter that is similar oridentical to the interior of the base 12 discussed above. In someembodiments, the support structure 76 includes a plurality aluminum,steel, wood, composite, or plastic beams arranged in a grid. The supportstructure 76 may carry the load of the elevated base 74, water borne bythe elevated base 74, as well as gardening media supported by the waterpermeable member 78. The support structure 76, in turn, may rest againstthe sides of the base 12, which may include a ledge or ridges to matewith the support structure 76. The water permeable member 78 may includean array of apertures 82 sized such that a gardening media generallydoes not fall through the apertures 82, but water may evaporate orotherwise be drawn out through the holes 82 into the gardening media.The water permeable member 78 may be a sheet of machined wood, plastic,or metal through which an array of holes 82 have been drilled, or thewater permeable member 78 may be a plastic, wire, or fiber mesh.

The watering tube 80 may be approximately 3 feet long and may extendthrough a complementary aperture 84 in the water permeable member 78into a volume defined by the water permeable member 78 and the elevatedsurface 74, as illustrated by FIG. 8. Together, these layers define awater reservoir 86 in which water is stored in the spaces around thesupport structure 76, which permits water to flow around its constituentbeams. As illustrated in FIG. 9, the members 74, 76, 78, and 80 may belowered into the base 12 to form an elevated water reservoir under thewater permeable member 78, upon which gardening medium may be applied.The gardening media may draw water through the apertures 82, eitherthrough evaporation, or by filling the reservoir 86 such that waterflows through the apertures 82, thereby applying a relatively uniformand relatively constant source of moisture to the gardening media. Waterreaches the reservoir 86 through the watering tube 80, which extendsthrough the gardening media, into the space between the water permeablemember 78 and the elevated support 74. The elevated support 74 may reston a ledge extending around the interior of the base 12, which mayinclude a seal to limit the escape of water, or the elevated support 74,in some embodiments, may be integrally formed in the interior of thebase 12 or be formed in a cup-shape, such that the support structure 76and the water permeable member 78 sit within the volume defined by theelevated support 74, which may also be referred to as a pan.

In operation, the gardener may apply a gardening media over the top ofthe water permeable member 78 and, then, plant within the gardeningmedia. The watering tube 80 may be a two-inch tube that extends throughthe gardening media to a height such that the gardener has access to thetop of the tube 80. The gardener may add water to the top of thewatering tube 80, and the water may flow through the tube 80, throughthe water permeable member 78, and accumulate in the reservoir 86 abovethe elevated support 74. This accumulated water may then evaporate or,if enough water is supplied, flow through the apertures 82 into thegardening media, thereby watering the plants and providing a relativelylarge supply of water from which the plants may draw moisture. In someembodiments, a wicking material may extend through the apertures 82 intothe reservoir 86, for example cotton rope, twine, or other fibers. Thewicking material may draw water from the reservoir 86 into the gardeningmedia above through capillary action, thereby providing water to theroots of plants. By providing a steady supply of water from a relativelylarge reservoir (e.g., more than 5 gallons) gardening container 72 isexpected to extend the periods between watering sessions by gardeners,thereby simplifying the gardening process.

Embodiments of the gardening container 12 are not limited to thosehaving a generally circular base. For instance, some embodiments have arectangular shape, as illustrated by gardening container 88 in FIGS. 10and 11. The base 90 of gardening container 88, like the previousembodiments, is tapered and is stackable. The width 92 of the base 90may be selected such that a typical person can reach across the base 90to garden while leaving room for plants, e.g., the width 92 may be lessthan 30 inches and more than 10 inches, such as near or exactly 20inches. The length 94 of the base 90 may be greater than or equal to thewidth 92 in some embodiments, e.g., over 40 inches. In some embodiments,the length 94 and width 92 may be approximately or exactly equal,forming a square shape, and access from the ends of the base 90 mayfacilitate use of larger dimensions, e.g., the sides may be greater than20 and less than 60 inches, such as approximately or exactly 40 inches.

The illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 10 and 11 includes a tapered feedingtube 96, e.g., an inverted frustum of a rectangular pyramid, positionednear or at the center of the base 90. In some embodiments, the feedingtube 96 may have other shapes, such as those discussed above. The tube96 includes a top aperture 98 and a plurality of apertures near its base(e.g., an array of approximately half inch apertures within two feet ofthe bottom of the tube 96 to facilitate flow of water through compostingmaterial into the gardening media. As with previous embodiments, theheight of the gardening container 88 may be greater than approximately36 inches to facilitate access to plants (though embodiments are notlimited to containers in this height range), and the space between thewalls may define a hollow side-wall interior 100 (FIG. 11) to facilitatestacking. Other embodiments may have other shapes than rectangular andcircular, such as those defined by other regular polygons (e.g., atriangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, or an octagon) and those defined byirregular polygons (e.g., a trapezoid, a C-shape, or a W-shape). Havingtwo or more relatively straight sides is expected to facilitate use ofthe gardening container 88 near corners, e.g., near the corner of anapartment balcony.

FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate another embodiment of a gardening container102 having a water disperser 104. In this embodiment, the waterdisperser 104 includes a plurality of tubes 106 radially symmetricallydisposed within the base 12 and extending through the side of thefeeding tube 14. As illustrated in FIG. 13, each tube 106 (which in thisembodiment is generally a right circular cylinder, and which may haveother shapes), extends outward and is sloped downward to distributewater radially into the gardening media. The end of the tubes 106 withinthe feeding tube 14 includes an upper aperture 108 for catching wateradded to the feeding tube 14, and the distal portions of the tubes 106include one or more apertures near a bottom portion of the tubes (notshown) for directing water into the gardening media while impeding theflow of gardening media into the tubes 106 (e.g., an array of ½ inchapertures). In operation, water is added to the top of the feeding tube14, and the water flows down into the upper apertures 108. The waterthen is directed radially outward, toward the distal portions of thetubes 106, due to the tubes 106 downward slope, and the water flows outof apertures in the bottom portion of the tubes 106 into the gardeningmedia. The water disperser 104 is expected to disperse water in thegardening media more evenly that systems without such a feature, therebypotentially enhancing plant growth throughout the gardening container102.

In some embodiments, in place of, or in conjunction with, ledges orridges set into the interior sides of the base, securing means forholding support structure 76 in a fixed position may be placedthroughout the base of water reservoir 86 along the top surface of theelevated base 74. In these embodiments, these securing means resemblerebar support chairs. The support chairs may be individually installedonto the top surface of elevated base 74 according to methodologiesknown in the art or alternatively be directly molded to said top surfaceof elevated base 74 during manufacture. In some embodiments, the supportchairs may be placed throughout the bottom surface of interior 56. Inthese embodiments, support structure 76 is fixed to the support chairswithout intervening elevated base 74.

Additionally, some embodiments include a small opening between at leastone edge of support structure 76 and the corresponding interior basewall. A second opening is also made immediately above the first openingbetween the same wall and water permeable member 78. The openings may bearound 1.5 square inches to allow for relatively unimpeded communicationof water from water reservoir 86 to the gardening media resting atopwater permeable member 78 via wicking.

FIGS. 14 and 15 depict another embodiment of a gardening containerhaving a drain assembly. In these embodiments, a drain assembly separatefrom the central tube is incorporated into the base. The drain assemblyis located at the top of base 12 on an interior side wall. The drain box109 is secured onto the wall by any conventional means or may be moldedinto base 12 during manufacture. Drain box 109 is entirely enclosedexcept for an input aperture 111 with access to the exterior of base 12and configured to accept a hose or other water source, an outputaperture 110 designed to allow water to flow out from drain box 109 tothe exterior of base 12, and a reservoir access aperture 112 at thebottom of drain box 109 that opens into water reservoir 86 allowingwater to flow from water reservoir 86 into drain box 109 and vice versa.

In some embodiments, input aperture 111 is 4 square inches in size andlocated at the top of drain box 109 above output aperture 100. In otherembodiments, reservoir access aperture 112 may extend from the base ofdrain box 109 half an inch up on the innermost side of drain box 109relative to water reservoir 86. A PVC or other similar pipe may befitted and secured inside drain box 109 to direct, and ensure controlledflow of, water between output aperture 110 and reservoir access aperture112. Additionally, output aperture 110 and reservoir access aperture 112may be configured, using methodologies known in the art, to only allowwater to flow to the exterior of base 12 when a certain water level isreached in water reservoir 86.

In some embodiments, the base of the entry of gardener passage 34 may besubstantially flush with the horizontal surface upon which the gardeningcontainer is placed to allow for compliance with American withDisabilities Act (ADA) requirements. A 3-sq. inch clearance may also beincorporated into the base wall that defines gardener passage 34 tocomply with ADA requirements.

It should be understood that the description and the drawings are notintended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but tothe contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents,and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the presentinvention as defined by the appended claims. The term “gardening” hereinis not limited to hobbyist pursuits and encompasses agriculturalactivities in general, including activities on farms. Furthermodifications and alternative embodiments of various aspects of theinvention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of thisdescription. Accordingly, this description and the drawings are to beconstrued as illustrative only and are for the purpose of teaching thoseskilled in the art the general manner of carrying out the invention. Itis to be understood that the forms of the invention shown and describedherein are to be taken as examples of embodiments. Elements andmaterials may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein,parts and processes may be reversed or omitted, and certain features ofthe invention may be utilized independently, all as would be apparent toone skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description ofthe invention. Changes may be made in the elements described hereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asdescribed in the following claims.

Accompanying this filing, as “Appendix A to Continuation-In-PartApplication of Richard Schroeder of 14 Nov. 2016” are newly addedfeatures on which this Continuation-in-Part application is based, andwhich will be formalized at a later time.

As used throughout this application, the word “may” is used in apermissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather thanthe mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). The words “include”,“including”, and “includes” and the like mean including, but not limitedto. As used throughout this application, the singular forms “a”, “an”and “the” include plural referents unless the content explicitlyindicates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “an element” or “aelement” includes a combination of two or more elements, notwithstandinguse of other terms and phrases for one or more elements, such as “one ormore.” The term “or” is, unless indicated otherwise, non-exclusive,i.e., encompassing both “and” and “or.” Terms relating to causalrelationships, e.g., “in response to,” “upon,” “when,” and the like,encompass causal relationships having both causes that are a necessarycausal condition and causes that are a sufficient causal condition,e.g., “state X occurs upon condition Y obtaining” is generic to “Xoccurs solely upon Y” and “X occurs upon Y and Z.” Similarly, unlessotherwise indicated, statements that one value or action is “based on”another condition or value encompass both instances in which thecondition or value is the sole factor and instances in which thecondition or value is one factor among a plurality of factors.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A gardening container, comprising: a basefor a raised-bed gardening container, the base comprising: a bottomedge; a top rim at least 36 inches above the bottom edge; an exteriorsidewall extending between the bottom edge and the top rim; an interiorsidewall extending from the top rim to a bottom interior, the interiorsidewall and bottom interior defining an interior volume for containinga gardening media, the interior volume having a diameter of greater thanapproximately four feet; a fluid control volume defined by said interiorsidewall, a fluid control wall, and a fluid control floor, said fluidcontrol floor extending toward said interior volume from said interiorsidewall, said fluid control wall extending toward said top rim fromsaid fluid control floor, wherein said interior side wall comprises afluid outlet configured to allow communication of a fluid from saidfluid control volume through said exterior sidewall; a fluid controlaperture configured to allow fluid communication between said fluidcontrol volume and said interior volume, wherein said fluid controlaperture is positioned below said fluid outlet.
 2. The gardeningcontainer of claim 1, wherein the base is stackable such that a bottombase among a pair of substantially identical bases is shaped to fitwithin a wall interior of a top base, and the bottom base is more thanapproximately 50 percent overlapped by the top base.
 3. The gardeningcontainer of claim 1, wherein the base is a monolithic body of a singlematerial and further comprising: a water reservoir comprising: anelevated base layer; a water permeable gardening media support layer; agardening media layer support structure defined by a plurality of beamsconfigured to form a grid; and means for securing said gardening medialayer support structure in a fixed position relative to said elevatedbase layer, said elevated base layer being disposed within saidinterior.
 4. The gardening container of claim 3, further comprising: afeeding tube support generally centrally disposed in the base; and afeeding tube configured to be coupled to the feeding tube support andreside approximately centrally within the interior volume to collectcompost and convey water into the gardening media, wherein the feedingtube comprises: a plurality of apertures operable to convey water intothe gardening media; and an upper aperture disposed adjacent thegardener passage when the feeding tube is coupled to the feeding tubesupport and operable to receive water and compost material.
 5. Thegardening container of claim 4, further comprising: a gardener passageextending to said feeding tube support and having a width configured toallow a gardener to walk through said gardener passage to said feedingtube support.